Roses and Milkshakes
by Pachamama9
Summary: Albus finally comes out to Rose, and they argue about how to handle telling Harry. One-shot.


_A/N: Albus finally comes out to Rose._

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing._

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"Al, you've got to tell your dad." We're both laying on my bed, our legs propped up against the wall. I wiggle my purple, wool-covered toes.

I feel Al shaking his head from beside me. "That's idiotic, Rose. Can you imagine what the press would say?" He lifted his hands as if the words were under a giant spotlight. "The son of Harry Potter: GAY. My coming out would become an international story! Wizarding society, the press... They would be all over it. I don't want that."

"But it's Uncle Harry," I reply. How can he not tell Uncle Harry about this? "He's your dad. You have to tell him." I put a hand on his arm. "You can't keep this hidden from him; he deserves to know."

I can feel Albus tense up from beside me. "It's not about that."

I bump my feet against his. "Then what is it about?"

He shrugged a little. "If my dad finds out, then he'll tell Mum, and then she'll tell everyone else... Everyone will know."

"This is Uncle Harry," I protest. "He wouldn't do that."

"Are you bloody kidding me, Rose?" His hands drop back down to the mattress, and he sighs. "Do you even know how big our family is? It would get from one Weasley to another and then the whole bloody school would know!"

He had a point about the size of our family, and I know his prediction would come true if he told someone like Louis or Lily, but still... "Just tell your dad," I repeat. "Alone. It'll help. Trust me, Al—"

"You don't get it, Rose," he says. "I can't! I can't tell anyone! It will _destroy_ me!"

The sheer terror that rocked his last sentence frightened me, but I continued to persuade him. "But Al, the only way it can get better is if you tell—"

His face hardens. "Why don't you tell Uncle Harry about you and Scorpius?" He's now swung his legs over the edge of the bed so that he is no longer facing me. This innocent family reunion has turned tense and harsh. I sit up on the bed as well.

I grit my teeth, growling, "That's _different_ , Albus."

"Is it really? Well—"

"Look, Al!" I cut him off. "The press wouldn't go as crazy for you as it would for me. Dating a Malfoy is huge in their eyes."

"Rose," he said, his tone dangerous but quiet. "Do you mean to say that you dating a Malfoy is a bigger deal than _my sexuality_?"

I gulp. "Al, I—"

"Rose, I'm sorry—no, scratch that, I'm not. Sometimes it isn't all about you and your _silly little fifth year romance_ that will last for another month, maybe two? For you it doesn't last your whole _life_!" He's a whirlwind now, his frantic words spilling from him. "For you, this won't consume your life and tear it apart _piece by piece_!" Albus pauses only to take in a breath. "Once you two are falling out and grow angry with each other, then everything goes back to normal and the press could care less. Once the press knows about me, they'll stalk me and my family until my dad tells them what he thinks about it. and they'll always be taking pictures and trying to determine exactly 'how much gay' they can see in me! This is who I am and I can't even—I can't even—" He takes another breath, but it turns into a shudder as he tries to hold back a sob. He's standing now, facing me, as I sit on the bed with my legs over the edge, my fingers gripping the covers. "You don't even know how hard it was for me to come to you about this, Rose! And Merlin's bloody balls, you're my _best friend_! I've known for a long time that I was gay, and I can't even pluck up the courage to" —his voice breaks— "tell my dad."

Then he's leaning into me and I'm holding him and he's holding me and he's sobbing uncontrollably as words burst from him. "Anyone," is one. "Hard," is another. "Couldn't," is the last I hear before he gives in to his anguish.

"I've got you, Al," I whisper, rubbing his back. "I've got you."

Once he finally stops crying, he mumbles, "Sorry."

"Hey," I remind him, hugging him again. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I help him off of the bed, getting him to his feet. "Now, c'mon. Let's go get some milkshakes, okay?"

Albus looks up at me through his tears and smiles. Any time we're feeling down, we always go get milkshakes. "Okay," he says. "As long as you're buying."

I laugh. "In your dreams, Potter."

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 _A/N: Thanks for reading!_

 _Challenges used:_

 _If You Dare Challenge - #918 (Fractured Society)_

 _Are You Crazy Enough To Do It Challenge - #558 (Roses and Milkshakes)_

 _Favorite Character Boot Camp - #16 (purple), Rose Weasley_

 _Favorite House Boot Camp - #33 (frantic), Gryffindor_

 _The Golden Snitch - Through The Universe - #158 (Seyfert Galaxy) - (setting) Next-Gen_

 _The Golden Snitch - Ollivander's Wand Shop - Quirnius Quirrell - 9 inch - Write about a Gryffindor character._


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